The Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board wrote yesterday about the burden of recapture on Central Texas school districts, and the consequences faced by students and taxpayers alike. The Statesman takes a realistic approach to the issue and offers some “band-aid” solutions that would at least stop the bleeding if the Legislature lacks the will to perform the full-blown surgery that is truly required.

Whether you are from Central Texas or not though, you should pay particular attention to the third paragraph of this piece:

Making matters worse is that much of that local revenue is not staying in local districts to serve local students but being “recaptured” by the state to pay for public education in other districts. That method, while legal as a tool to steer more money to poorer districts, enables the state to shirk its responsibility and evade accountability.

Recapture was bad enough when it was simply local funding leaving one district that needs the funding and going to another, potentially needier, district. But now Robin Hood recapture has simply become a revenue stream for the State. As local taxpayers collectively pay more recapture, the State simply has less funding they need to provide in its place.